Hitherto, in a game process or the like, a situation is represented in which sounds are emitted from a plurality of sound sources within a virtual space. In such sound representation, there could be a case where same sounds are emitted simultaneously from these sound sources. In such a case, when all the sounds are simultaneously reproduced, the volume of the sound outputted from a speaker or the like is excessively increased.
For the above problem, a technology is known in which when a plurality of sound objects of the same type are present, sounds emitted by these sound objects are combined into a single sound, thereby saving the sound sources. In this technology, when same sounds are simultaneously reproduced, the number of sounds is limited. As a result, the volume of the outputted sound is prevented from being excessively increased.
However, in the above technology, even though the sound sources to be used are saved, when the number of sound sources to be actually used exceeds the number of sound sources that can be used to emit sounds, sounds of sound objects that are not to be outputted are determined in accordance with “priority”. In other words, due to the limitation on the number of sounds to be reproduced, there may be sounds that are not reproduced. For example, in the case where the number of usable sounds is limited to only one, when sounds from certain sound sources located on the right and left sides of a virtual microphone within a virtual space are simultaneously reproduced, there could be a situation in which only the sound from either the right sound source or the left sound source is actually reproduced.
Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiments to provide a game system, a game process control method, a game apparatus, and a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a game program, which prevent a sound volume from being excessively increased and enable sound reproduction in consideration of the position of each sound source, when sounds are emitted from a plurality of sound sources within a virtual space. It is noted that the computer-readable storage medium include, for example, magnetic media such as a flash memory, a ROM, and a RAM, and optical media such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RAM.
The feature described above is attained by, for example, the following configuration.
A configuration example is a game system which includes a sound output section configured to output a sound based on an audio signal and which represents a virtual three-dimensional space in which at least one virtual microphone and a plurality of sound source objects each associated with predetermined audio data are located. The game system includes a sound reproduction section, a received sound volume calculator, a first localization calculator, a weight assignment target determination section, a second localization calculator, and a sound output controller. The sound reproduction section is configured to reproduce a sound based on the predetermined audio data associated with each of the plurality of sound source objects, at a position of each sound source object in the virtual three-dimensional space and at the same timing. The received sound volume calculator is configured to calculate, for each sound source object, a magnitude of a sound volume of the sound of each sound source object, reproduced by the sound reproduction section, at the virtual microphone when each sound is received by the virtual microphone. The first localization calculator is configured to calculate, for each sound source object, a localization of the sound of each sound source object, reproduced by the sound reproduction section, at the virtual microphone as a first localization when each sound is received by the virtual microphone. The weight assignment target determination section is configured to determine any one sound source object as a weight assignment target on the basis of the magnitude of the sound volume of the sound of each sound source object which is calculated by the received sound volume calculator. The second localization calculator is configured to perform weight assignment such that the localization of the sound of the sound source object determined by the weight assignment target determination section is more greatly reflected and to calculate a second localization on the basis of the first localization of each sound source object when the sounds of the sound source objects are outputted as a single sound. The sound output controller is configured to generate, on the basis of the second localization, an audio signal in which the sounds of the plurality of sound source objects are made into a single sound, and to output the audio signal to the sound output section.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to prevent a sound volume from being unexpectedly great due to predetermined sounds from a plurality of sound sources being simultaneously reproduced. In addition, it is possible to perform such sound reproduction that the positional relation of each sound source is reflected.
Additionally, the predetermined audio data associated with the plurality of sound source objects may be the same.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to prevent a sound volume from being unexpectedly great due to same sounds from a plurality of sound sources being simultaneously reproduced.
Additionally, the weight assignment target determination section may determine, as the weight assignment target, the sound source object having the greatest magnitude of the sound volume of the reproduced sound which is calculated by the received sound volume calculator.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to perform such sound reproduction that the positional relation of each sound source is reflected further.
Additionally, the game system may further include an output sound volume setter configured to set a sound volume of a sound to be outputted to the sound output section, on the basis of the sound source objects that have emitted the sounds at the same timing. The sound output controller may output a sound based on the audio signal with the sound volume set by the output sound volume setter. Moreover, the output sound volume setter may set, as the sound volume of the sound to be outputted to the sound output section, the greatest sound volume among the sound volume of the sound of each sound source object which is calculated by the received sound volume calculator, or may set the sound volume of the sound to be outputted to the sound output section, on the basis of the number of the sound source objects that have emitted the sounds at the same timing. Furthermore, the output sound volume setter may set the sound volume of the sound to be outputted, such that the sound volume is increased as the number of the sound source objects that have emitted the sounds at the same timing is increased.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to perform such sound reproduction that the positional relation of each sound source is reflected further. In particular, it is possible to perform sound representation that allows a sense of distance to each sound source object to be easily grasped.
Additionally, the game system may further include an outputted sound changing section configured to change a content of a sound to be outputted to the sound output section, on the basis of the number of the sound source objects that have emitted the sounds at the same timing.
According to the above configuration example, for example, in a game process in which an enemy character is eliminated, it is possible to provide an aurally exhilarating feeling to a player when the player eliminates multiple enemy characters at one time.
Additionally, the sound output section may be a stereo speaker, and each of the first localization calculator and the second localization calculator may calculate a localization in a right-left direction when a player facing the sound output section sees the sound output section. Furthermore, the sound output section may be a surround speaker, and each of the first localization calculator and the second localization calculator may calculate a localization in a right-left direction and a localization in a forward-rearward direction when a player facing the sound output section sees the sound output section.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to cause a player to aurally feel expansion of the virtual three-dimensional space.
Additionally, a plurality of virtual microphones may be located in the virtual three-dimensional space, the received sound volume calculator may calculate the magnitude of the sound volume of the sound of each sound source object for each of the plurality of virtual microphones, the first localization calculator may calculate the first localization of each sound source object for each of the plurality of virtual microphones, the weight assignment target determination section may determine the weight assignment target for each of the plurality of virtual microphones, the second localization calculator may calculate the second localization for each of the plurality of virtual microphones, the game system may further include a third localization calculator configured to calculate a localization with which the sounds received by each virtual microphone are to be outputted as a single sound, as a third localization on the basis of the second localization at each of the plurality of virtual microphones, and the sound output controller may generate an audio signal regarding the sound source objects on the basis of the third localization and may output the audio signal to the sound output section.
According to the above configuration example, in a game process of a game that is played simultaneously by a plurality of players and in which, for example, a screen is split and split screens are assigned to the players, it is possible to aurally provide a spatial sense of the virtual three-dimensional space to each player.
Another configuration example is a game system which includes a sound output section configured to output a sound based on an audio signal and which represents a virtual three-dimensional space in which a plurality of virtual microphones and a plurality of sound source objects each associated with predetermined audio data are located. The game system includes a sound reproduction section, a received sound volume calculator, a first localization calculator, a second localization calculator, a third localization calculator, and a sound output controller. The sound reproduction section is configured to reproduce a sound based on the predetermined audio data associated with each sound source object, at a position of each sound source object in the virtual three-dimensional space and at the same timing. The received sound volume calculator is configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of virtual microphones, a magnitude of a sound volume of each of a plurality of the sounds, reproduced by the sound reproduction section, at each virtual microphone when the sounds are received by each virtual microphone. The first localization calculator is configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of virtual microphones, a localization of each of the sounds, reproduced by the sound reproduction section, as a first localization when the sounds are received by each virtual microphone. The second localization calculator is configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of sound source objects, a second localization on the basis of the magnitude of the sound volume of the sound of each sound source object at each virtual microphone which is calculated by the received sound volume calculator and the localization of each sound source object at each virtual microphone which is calculated by the first localization calculator, the second localization being a localization with which the sounds received by the plurality of virtual microphones are to be outputted as a single sound. The third localization calculator is configured to calculate a third localization on the basis of the second localization regarding each of the plurality of sound source objects, the third localization being a localization with which the sounds of the plurality of sound source objects which are reproduced at the same timing are to be outputted as a single sound. The sound output controller is configured to generate an audio signal regarding the sounds of the plurality of sound source objects which are reproduced at the same timing, on the basis of the third localization and to output the audio signal to the sound output section.
According to the above configuration example, in a game process of a game that is played simultaneously by a plurality of players and in which, for example, a screen is split and split screens are assigned to the players, it is possible to aurally provide a spatial sense of the virtual three-dimensional space to each player.
According to the exemplary embodiments, it is possible to prevent a sound volume from being unexpectedly great due to overlapping of sounds from a plurality of sound sources which are simultaneously reproduced. In addition, it is possible to perform such sound reproduction that the positional relation of each sound source is reflected.